Union Accepts Freeze, Ending Mdc Layoffs

C First-shift maintenance workers at the Metropolitan District Commission who were laid off Thursday morning will be called back to work today, after union members voted to accept a wage freeze.

Thursday's vote also means that Lake McDonough, a popular swimming and boating area at the Barkhamsted Reservoir, will remain open Labor Day weekend, district officials said. The recreation area was to have been closed by the furlough of 38 production and maintenance workers.

"I'm extremely pleased that our employees pulled together to make this very difficult decision," said Anthony H. Gallicchio, district chairman, in a prepared statement.

The layoffs, the first in the district's 60-year history, were announced last week in response to an anticipated $7 million shortfall in the district's budget for next year.

The vote Thursday noon by members of Local 184, Council 4 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, came in time to halt layoffs in later shifts, said Anthony Palermino, the district's labor attorney.

"Everything's in full operation right now," he said.

Thirty-eight workers who had been reassigned to cover the positions of those scheduled to be laid off will return to their original jobs, Palermino said.

Wayne Darby, president of one of the groups, Local 1026, which represents 72 supervisors, said it has reached a tentative agreement with the district.

Palermino said talks broke off Saturday with Local 3713, the other group, which represents clerical and technical workers at the district. "They gave us a proposal on Friday, we had further discussions on Saturday, and they rejected our proposals," he said. "There's nothing further scheduled." Salvatore Gozzo, president of Local 3713, could not be reached for comment.

The Metropolitan District Commission, formed in 1930, provides water and sewer service to Hartford, East Hartford, Bloomfield, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, Newington and Windsor.